Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-05-13
DOWN THE CHANNEL
A scheme Advocated to Make it Fifty
per Cent Deeper Estimates of Csst
andlsaving--Pro Efects--Other
River InteEEieence


A writer ia the Railroad Gazette is
considering the advantages which would
accrue should the depth of the river be
increased one half below its present
depth He figures the depth to be at
tanned by such improvement as ten feet
TO Cairo. eight feet to ST. Louis, five feet
to Keokuk and three feet TO st. Paul,
and that 80 far Ms the transportation OF
grain and other freight in bulk is con-
cerned, the depths cited, viz, ten feet to
Cairo and eight feet to st. Louis, would
prove all that is needful to confer the
maximum benefits, or to give the
minimum freight rates between st Louis
and New Orleans. If these depths
are sufficient for the barges, much more
are they sufficient for the steamers
engaged in the transportation of pas
sengers and general merchandise
These usually draw from four to eight
feet on the lower river, and seldom have
occasion to draw more. They are in
fact rarely loaded deeper than six feet
From St Louis to keokuk an assured
low~water depth o! five feet would en-
able grain to be transported in bulk at
afford to carry ii for. and the steamboat
traffic would be put on a reliable aud
paying basis The great uncertainty in
the schedule time OF boats on the upper
river. owing to detention on sand bars. is
alone sufficient to cause shippers to ahan
don this annoying method Of trausporta~
ZION and resort to the more expensive but
more certain railroads With a depth of
five feet, however the boats could be
nearly as prompt rs freight train, and
this promptness together with the lower
rates which would result. would defect
very large business from the railroads to
the river Above low water depth Of
three feet would allow RATS and lightly
loaded steamers to pass at all seasons
with certainty and dispatch. Although
the traffic on the upper river could not
equal that on the river below st. Louis,
the cost of the Improvement would be
proportiouately less, and SO the relative
advantages of the improvement of this
portion of the river would doubtless Be
equal to those of the lower river. The
writer. in conclusion, says;
We may assume that The complete
Improvement of The Mississippi would re-
suit in saving Of 81 stu, 600 on the trait
fic now carried on the river, aud an equal
reduction on traffic carried by rail, or II
total saving of $30O0,000 may be
taken as a safe estimate of the result of
securing and maintaining 80 per cent
increase of navigable depth. On purely
business basis, then. it is evident that the
government would be warranted in spend
ing SlU0. OW1 900 as first investment.
and 81 600, GEO annually for maintenance
Whether or not these sums would &C
push tut iubtlttd lFNilltS uGltiil GtlE
sIdered feasible, is of course uncertain:
but 1t probably is not advisable to antic-
ipate anything very much better than
this If this business of Mississippi |
river improvement is TO be prosecuted, ii |
should be with = clear understanding of
the SIZE of the undertaking. and with a |
full determination to prosecute it to com |
niatYAn IA e l.,
large sums as are indicated The cost |
of maintenance will be very great, say |
from 2 to per cent of the first cost and
hence this item is probably of as much |
consequence rs the original expenditure. |
The figures on depth are rather low
for the upper river. remarks an exchange, |
but the whole scheme seems improbable |
of realization. 1t is an outlay which no
congress is apt to consider even through |
the benefits should be great. Better use
a fifteenth of the amount to build Henne
pin. The action OF the railroads under the |
Interstate commerce bill shows that we
need it more than ever The same writer
ends up another article with the follow
ing sound sense on tine subject OF water !
transportation:
1t is also evident that the benefits of J
a cheap water transportation route are by |
no means measured ny the reduced rates |
on the traffic actually carried by that |
route As long as the allrail routes I'm,
dertake to compete for the business, the |
advantage to shippers is measured by the |
reduction in rates with the whole amount |
of business on all competing lines IL is |
of no consequence whether or not the bust |
ness is actually done by the water routes, |
SO long as they are efficient in holding |
down the rates. The true measure of an |
essentially cheap route is, therefore, the |
difference between the rates. with and |
without it, into tine entire business which |
might be carried by that route.
RIVER RIPLETs.
Sidney up Monday.
The Josie will he up Sunday.
The Mary Morton went up early this
lhN itiNHht1. tiit iithttis- Iu'tiif WIN |
he down Sunday
The War Eagle will be along here Sun
day night on her way South.
The Josephine is expected here to-
morrow night. on her way to St. Louis
The Barnard returned from keokuk |
this morning. Lieut.. Schwatka and wife |
and Col. Blackett having been Capt |
Durham's guests on the trip Tine Bar
nard goes north today.
The Verne SWANS monopoly of bust
ness between Rock Island ard Clinton,
has been Interfered with by the entry of |
the Dick Clyde into the same trade. |
These two boats, both clippers, will